Khyber Agency fighting: Militants storm security posts in Bara; 6 killed

Security forces claim killing four militants; 18 bullet-riddled bodies found in Alam Ghudar area.

BARA:

Militants attacked security check posts in the Khyber tribal region on Tuesday, killing six personnel and injuring 16 others. Security forces, on the other hand, claim to have killed four militants in the clash.

Loyalists of Mangal Bagh Afridi, the chief of the Lashkar-e-Islam extremist group, stormed security check posts in Arjali Nadi, Machine Dandh and Mashumano Adhera areas of Bara tehsil on the night between Monday and Tuesday, official sources said.

At least five security personnel, including two Khasadars, were killed and 16 others were wounded in these raids, sources added. However, Bara’s Assistant Political Agent Nasir Khan claimed that the attack was successfully repulsed.

Meanwhile, the Lashkar-e-Islam spokesperson Abu Rasheed Lashkari claimed responsibility for the attack. Speaking from an undisclosed location by phone, the spokesperson denied that any of their fighters were killed in the raids. Instead, he claimed that his group’s fighters kidnap four security personnel.

Political Agent of Khyber Agency Mutahir Zeb Khan announced compensation for the families of the dead security personnel.

Bullet-riddled bodies found

Meanwhile, 18 bullet-riddled bodies were found in the Alam Gudar area of Khyber Agency Tuesday evening.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2013.